Concerning the proposed casino, the bottom line about casinos is: People will put their money at risk.

Most of us cannot afford to lose money. And yes, when you gamble, many times, if not most times, you lose.

And you can become addicted to it. I had a friend who lost her life from the effects of gambling. She would stay with a machine for 24 hours at a time, and bet anything she had, in the vain attempt to win money. She went through her own money, her father’s money; she wanted to borrow money from me (I declined to allow it); her health deteriorated, and she died.

Scenarios like these are not rare; they are all too common.As far as bringing in jobs, the jobs that are brought in are part-time and low paying. Studies, like those made in Atlantic City, N.J., show that cities do not benefit from casinos; there are still poorer areas and better areas; the poorer ones do not get better because of casinos.

Think of it: Do you want the people of your city to engage in productive activity and be an active member of their community?

If you do, they certainly will not do that if their precious hours, and hard-earned money, are being spent gambling. Do you want to be an enabler to this kind of behavior?

I see no point in allowing this destructive, boring and unproductive behavior, in the guise of a casino, coming into Fall River.